The Ride Home
by AlwaysaDreamer2010
Summary: What happened on the way back to Mystic Falls after Damon and Stefan rescued Elena in the episode "Rose"?   Short, one-shot.  Damon's POV. Damon, Elena, and Stefan. Spoilers for 2x08.  I don't own the Vampire Diaries.  This is my first VD fic.


The Ride Home

"Just let her go." Elena said from the top of the stairs as Rose super sped away.

Damon was about to chase after Rose when the sound of Elena's voice stopped him. He turned to look up at her. Even in a blood-stained pink shirt and jeans she was as beautiful as she had been at the Miss Mystic Falls pageant. It was the first time he'd seen her since she had been kidnapped and his relief that she appeared unharmed was evident on his face.

Her eyes lit up as she descended towards him. For a split second he was filled with hope; that was quickly dashed as Stefan stepped in between them and she ran into his arms.

"Hey, come here. You hurt? You ok?" Stefan asked, as Elena embraced him.

Damon felt a stab of pain. Of course it would be Stefan that she would run to, full of gratitude for saving her. Never mind that he had risked his own life to rescue her.

As if sensing his thoughts, Elena looked at him with her penetrating gaze that always made him feel as if she could see to his very soul. Her arms were still wrapped around Stefan's neck but she nodded towards him and mouthed, '_Thank you.'_

His heart felt warmed by her gratitude. '_You're welcome_,' he mouthed back.

As Elena continued to hug Stefan, Damon had to look away. Watching her in Stefan's arms only reminded him of how much he wished that it was his arms holding her, his lips kissing her. _Whoa, don't go there_. He chided himself.

"Let's go home." Stefan said after several minutes.

"Wait! My necklace!" Elena ran down the steps to the basement. Damon and Stefan followed her. Elena was frantically searching the room. "It has to be here!" she exclaimed.

"I can get you more vervain back at the house. We should go." Stefan pulled Elena into his arms.

_Again with the hugging?_ Stefan was killing him.

"I wanted the necklace, not for the vervain but, because it was from you, Stefan." Elena's words pierced through Damon's heart.

Stefan and Elena headed up the stairs. Damon started to follow when he noticed a glint of metal under a pile of rubble. He bent down for a closer look. _Elena's necklace. _ Gingerly, he picked it up by the chain. He stared at the pendant dangling from his fingers. How easily he could get rid of it and no one would know.

"Are you coming, Damon?" Stefan yelled down from the main floor.

"Yeah, be right there." Damon stuffed the necklace into his jeans pocket, wincing as he felt the vervain burning his skin through the thin material. He super sped upstairs.

Damon reached the main floor in time to witness Stefan gather Elena into his arms to carry her to the car. He paused, watching from the window as Stefan helped Elena into the back seat and then climbed in beside her. His heart sank. It was going to be a long ride home.

For the first half hour no one spoke. Damon didn't feel much like talking anyway. Every time he glanced into the rearview mirror and saw Elena in the back seat with Stefan's arms around her, he felt a pain more intense than the vervain that was still burning the skin of his left thigh. Fortunately, he hadn't put the necklace in his right pocket which would have made driving nearly impossible.

The silence was becoming increasingly uncomfortable for him because it left him with too much time to think, and he didn't want to think…. about Elena and Stefan, and how history seemed to be repeating.

"Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall…" Damon impulsively started to sing, loudly, in an effort to lighten the mood. He glanced in the mirror. Stefan and Elena didn't look amused.

"Damon, could you not sing?" Elena asked.

Damon attributed Elena's request to fatigue and a desire for quiet rather than a commentary on his singing ability. Nevertheless, her words still stung.

"Ok. No singing. How about 'I Spy with my little eye'…?"

"Damon." Stefan shook his head.

"Got it. Quiet it is." He made the mistake of glancing in the mirror just as Elena lifted her face to Stefan's for a kiss.

The pain was nearly unbearable. Damon mustered every ounce of his strength to squelch the rising tide of jealousy that threatened to drown him. It was like what happened with Katherine all over again. No. Not quite. Elena wasn't selfish and heartless like Katherine. Elena was innocent and kind.

He kept his eyes on the road.

After a long while Damon glanced into the rearview mirror. Elena's head was resting on Stefan's shoulder and her eyes were closed. She had been through an ordeal and she was exhausted. A tidal wave of guilt washed over him.

_Elena_. Her needs were what mattered. She needed rest, protection… and Stefan. What she didn't need was his petty jealousy. His eyes lingered on her face. She looked so peaceful in her sleep, so beautiful.

"Thanks." Stefan said, breaking the silence.

"For what?" Damon fixed his eyes on the road.

"Helping me to rescue Elena. Things might have ended… differently… without you there."

Damon tried to shrug it off. "That's what a brother is for."

Neither of them broached the subject of the elephant that they had almost discussed on the trip earlier. Damon was certain that Stefan knew of his love for Elena as first Isobel and then Katherine had announced it in front of Stefan. Yet, Stefan seemed in denial. Or perhaps he hadn't called him on it in an effort to keep peace between them.

They rode in silence the rest of the way until Damon pulled off the road just after they passed the sign for Mystic Falls city limits.

"What are you doing?" Stefan asked.

Damon got out of the car, leaving the keys in the ignition. "Go ahead and take Elena home."

Stefan eyed him suspiciously.

"Relax, Stefan. I'm going to walk home." He breathed in deeply. "Hmm, smell that fresh air. It's a wonderful night for a walk, or maybe I'll hitch a ride." He couldn't resist teasing Stefan, had to keep him guessing.

Stefan eased himself away from Elena, gently lowering her until she was lying across the seat, still fast asleep. "You're sure?"

"Go, before Elena wakes up." Damon stood by the side of the road and watched as Stefan drove off.

As soon as Stefan was out of sight Damon yanked the necklace out of his pocket. It slipped from his grasp and landed in the grass as a cry of pain that he'd been holding back escaped from his lips.

It was a relief to finally get it away from his skin, which he was sure the vervain had burned a hole in his leg by now.

After the pain in his leg subsided a bit, he stood looking down at the necklace. He could just leave it there. He stooped down to pick it back up, being careful to hold it by the chain.

He pictured Elena's beautiful, slender neck that he longed to kiss every inch of. As much as he hated that necklace and the fact that Stefan had been the one to give it to Elena, he couldn't imagine her without it.

He _hated_ when Stefan was right. Just as he'd said, Damon couldn't help himself. He'd give the necklace back to Elena because of her love for Stefan and because he _loved _her. He thought that he had loved Katherine, but that was only a selfish lust. He had wanted Katherine for himself. With Elena he wanted her happiness above his own. He would do anything for her.

Damon had walked a half mile when a convertible passed by him. The driver was a gorgeous blond he'd seen a few times at the Mystic Grill. She stopped and reversed to pull up beside him.

"Need a ride?" She asked, her tone making it clear she was offering more than transportation into town.

The old Damon would have taken her up on her offer and then some. Elena had changed something in him.

"Thanks, but I think I'll walk." He couldn't believe the words coming from his mouth.

The blond seemed shocked by his refusal. "Are you _sure_?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Suit yourself." She sped off.

Damon shook his head. He looked down at the necklace swinging from his hand. With a sigh he started walking down the road. It was going to be a long walk home.


End file.
